Rockford, Ill., receives $3 million for multi-modal station

Rockford, Ill., received a $3 million investment to develop a new multi-modal station just south of the downtown area. The Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan funding to design and engineer the new facility is in addition to the $60 million allocated to construct the Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque rail corridor. The two projects together are expected to support nearly 700 jobs and bring rail access back to a part of the state that has not seen service in 30 years.

"Investing in Rockford is good for Illinois," Illinois Governor Quinn said. "Not only will we create a new station and Amtrak service, we'll create new jobs and attract more economic development to the Rockford area. Illinois residents will have additional travel options and reduced travel times from Rockford to the Chicago area and to western parts of our state."

The total cost of the new multi-modal station is expected to be approximately $12 million, including design and engineering. The Illinois Department of Transportation and city of Rockford will work to obtain the additional funds to move construction of the project forward. Construction is expected to begin in late 2012 on the site of the former Amtrak station in Rockford.

The new station, which will serve Amtrak's new Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque corridor, replaces a dilapidated structure that the city of Rockford demolished at its own expense last year. The facility will support both passenger rail and public transit, which will improve accessibility and air quality by reducing vehicle emissions.

The Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque corridor is planned to carry one round-trip per day with planned stops in South Elgin, Genoa, Rockford, Freeport and Galena.

Construction on the new facility and corridor is expected to be complete by the end of 2014.